win16 application support

[Ernie Werbel]

Will I be able to run Win16 (Windows 3.1) applications in Vista? I am still
using such versions of Office, Photoshop, etc. They are still adequate for
my needs and I see no reason to replace them. Also what about MS-DOS
applications?
Ernie

 

[Richard G. Harper]

Not well, if at all. Time to upgrade all of them.

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[Andrew McLaren]

Not well, if at all. Time to upgrade all of them.

I respectfully disagree. Many DOS and 16-bit Windows applications run fine
on 32-bit Vista (any edition).

My understanding - based on answers during the beta - is that backwards
compatibility remains a significant goal for the Windows team. The NTVDM and
16 bit WoW are fully functional in Vista; in fact they've been enhanced
beyond what was available in XP (corrections to interrupt vector table,
etc).

Some older applications will have problems; especially if they try to write
to *.INI files in the Windows directory, or write to the Program Files
directory. Both these were common practices back in Win3.x days, but they
are utterly forbidden on Vista. Either Vista's Data Redirection will
automatically kick in, or you can grant permissions to INI files etc on a
case-by-case basis. I've done this for a few 16 bit apps I still run, and it
has worked fine.

DOS applications which run in graphics mode will definitely have problems on
Vista; in fact, they'll probably fail. The NTVDM in Vista only supports a
limited set of DOS graphics modes (one area where compatibility has gone
backwards). Likewise, DOS applications which try to directly address the
hardware will also fail - this has been true since NT 3.1.

For best results, right-click on the 16-bit EXE file and select Properties,
Compatibility. Set compatibility for Windows 95. This is not fully
compatible with Windows 3.x, but it will help bypass some of the rougher
edges.

64-bit Vista cannot run any DOS or 16 bit applications at all - no
workaround. This is a limitation of the 64 bit CPU (no VDMs in 64 bit mode),
not an explicit design decision by Windows. For 16 bit compatibility, you
must stick to 32 bit Windows.

However for major, mainstream applications like Office, I fully agree with
Richard - it is well worth upgrading to a current version. Some small
adjustments may be required, but Office 2003 and 2007 are just far, far
better apps to use than Office 4.3 etc. Nicer, easier, more flexible - they
just do a lot more. And they integrate much more smoothly into the Vista (or
XP) environment. Sticking with an old version of Office is false economy.

Cheers
Andrew